


The Breach Implosion Complication

by limez_and_lemonz



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dubious Science, F/M, Gen, Minor Violence, i don't know how to tag i'm sorry, like so much dubious science it's insane, other Big Bang characters mentioned, zoom is a jerk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:14:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28147410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limez_and_lemonz/pseuds/limez_and_lemonz
Summary: When Sheldon Cooper is asked to help to stop an evil speedster by the Flash himself, he readily accepts. But what happens when he gets a little more than he bargained for? Will he be ready to step up and face whatever threats may come his way? A Big Bang Theory x Flash crossover.
Relationships: Sheldon Cooper/ Harrison "Harry" Wells (platonically), Sheldon Cooper/Amy Farrah Fowler
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, to say I am nervous to post this is an understatement. I think it's safe to say I am downright terrified. This is the first time I will be posting a crossover and I just don't know what to expect. But I have really been enjoying writing this and I hope you all love reading it just as much!
> 
> Just for some timeline references, this is set after Big Bang Theory 9x09 and Flash 2x09. And, yes, we've got some major dubious science in here lol.

Sheldon stared at his whiteboard with disappointment. His work was suffering; he knew this, but, now that the university had him on a time crunch for some work that was substantial… he was starting to see the scope of his work's downgrade. But he couldn't help that he was distracted by personal matters, by the loss of his most important relationship. Sheldon wanted to blame Amy for his professional downfall, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Despite everything, he still loved her and wanted her to be happy. It wasn't her fault that he was an inadequate boyfriend.

Glancing over at the clock on his desk, Sheldon sighed when he realized it was almost noon. He had wasted half the day staring at this godforsaken whiteboard and still coming up with nothing. He was running out of time. The university was going to pull his funding if he didn't come up with something soon.

Suddenly there was a knock on his office door, and Leonard peeked his head inside. "Hey, buddy, we're off to lunch. You coming?"

Sheldon shook his head in the negative. "No," he replied. "I can't afford to waste any more time. I need to come up with something."

"Sheldon," Leonard sighed and fully stepped into the room. "Maybe it will help if you get out of this room for a while. You're working yourself to death."

He wanted to yell, throw, lash out at his best friend still standing in the doorway. He was *not* working himself to death. After all, he hadn't come up with anything of value in months. If he was working himself to death, he would have made progress by now. "Leonard, really, I'm fine," he tried reassuring the shorter man. "I just need to focus."

Leonard held his hands up in surrender. "All right, suit yourself. But I heard something pretty cool happened in Central City a couple of days ago. I know how you love a good discussion about that."

Without further ado, Leonard left him alone. Sheldon sighed once again. He loved talking about the latest metahuman news with his friends. Two years ago, when the Flash made his first appearances as the Streak in Central City, Sheldon and his friends spent almost all their time reading about him. Consuming the limited information that there was on this mystery man in red. Like the vigilante of Starling City, or the Green Arrow as he would later be known, nobody knew who the Flash really was. It wasn't that he was hellbent on finding out who this new hero was, but it made for an interesting hobby. Even if Amy told him it was a tad creepy.

Sheldon deflated again the moment his ex's name came into his mind. He couldn't let that hinder him, though. He needed to focus. Friday… he just needed to get to Friday. Then he could talk to his friends about exciting topics. He would either still have a job or be fired by the end of the week, no matter what.

Sheldon was about to turn away from his board to sit down, but a sudden woosh and jolt stopped him. And before he could even process what was happening, Sheldon was in an entirely different room altogether.

He knew he had just moved insanely fast, but the sudden stop was the thing that was truly disorienting. He held his arms out in front of him as if to make sure he had his balance. Sheldon looked around the room almost frantically, taking in his new surroundings, trying to deduce where he was. There were screens everywhere, each displaying some kind of data or logo. But Sheldon was so out of sorts he couldn't comprehend what it was. There was a hole in the wall, almost like a closet, but it was empty. There was nothing in it.

When Sheldon turned around, he was met with three pairs of eyes. Two of which were standing behind a large console with even more screens with even more data. A man and a woman both look shell shocked to see him standing there. But they were not who interested Sheldon the most. No, that award went to the man who stood next to the long desk. Clad in all red leather, a white emblem with a lightning bolt on his chest.

"You-you're," Sheldon sputtered and pointed at the man. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of him. "You're the Flash."

With a nod, Flash validated Sheldon's last statement. "I am. And you're Dr. Sheldon Cooper."

"You know who I am?" he asked, shocked to hear his name come from the person he had admired for so long.

"I do. Child progeny, who graduated at eleven, had his first Ph.D. by the time he was sixteen and now works at CalTech."

Sheldon looked at the other two people in the room, wondering how in the world these people knew this information. What else did they know? "How- how do you know all of that."

The Flash smiled under his cowl. "Your biography on your university's website is very detailed."

One of the other two people in the room finally spoke up. The man... who had long dark hair and some kind of graphic t-shirt. "We also kind of ran a background check on you."

"Cisco!" Both the woman and the Flash whispered harshly.

Cisco, apparently, held his hands up. "Excuse me, but he asked!" He defended himself before sitting in front of the console to work on one of the screens.

There was an awkward silence for a moment as the remaining two people and Sheldon stared at each other. "As amazing as it is to meet you," Sheldon said, gesturing to the man decked out in all red. "Why did you bring me here? Also, where is here?" He asked, gesturing at all the surroundings.

"You're at STAR Labs in Central City, and we brought you here because we need your help."

"Wow, ok, STAR Labs as in particle accelerator explosion STAR Labs?" Sheldon had heard of what had happened here over two years ago. It was tragic, really, how wrong the accelerator being turned on had gone. Its success could have meant leaps and bounds for the scientific community. But instead, it only seemed to have brought tragedy.

The Flash sighed. "The very one. Look, I know our reputation here is less than stellar, but we really could use your help."

Sheldon looked at the woman, who at this point had still said nothing, and saw that she was nodding in agreement. He really wanted to help, but he had a deadline he had to meet. A very hard deadline that could cost him his job. "Look, Flash, I would love to help, but I have a lot of work back home that I need to take care of."

The Flash made eye contact with Cisco, who took a renewed interest in the conversation. "Dr. Cooper," Cisco started, standing again. "We know your work has taken a hit recently; if you help us, we may be able to help you too."

Sheldon narrowed his eyes at the shorter man and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Do I want to know how you know that?"

"Probably not, no," Cisco rushed out, shaking his head. "But if we work together, I think we could be of great use to each other." Suddenly, he smirked. "And besides, I think you'll be more than happy to help us," he said, pointing at Sheldon's chest.

Looking down, confused, Sheldon was embarrassed when he remembered what shirt he had put on that morning. His signature red Flash shirt. Suddenly his cheeks were just as red as his clothing, and he kept his head down to hide that fact.

"Hey," Cisco called, bringing Sheldon's attention back to him. "It's alright, we of all people understand."

Sheldon shot the man a tight-lipped smile that was gone as quickly as it came. "I want to help, I really do. But I don't know how much help I'll be right now. I've been going through some stuff lately."

"Believe me when I say that everyone in this room has been through some stuff," The woman next to Cisco finally spoke. "Maybe a change of scenery will be good for you."

Looking back at the Flash, he saw that the scarlet speedster was questioning him with his eyes. "What do you say?"

"Alright," he nodded. "I'll help you. But I think it's only fair if I know why."

The Flash nodded. "I agree, Dr. Cooper. And it is only fair that you know who you're working with." He gestured over at his colleagues. "These are my friends," He spoke again, gesturing to the other two people in the room. "Cisco Ramon and Dr. Caitlin Snow."

Caitlin… or Dr. Snow… smiled genuinely at him. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Cooper."

Sheldon nodded back at her. "So, what do you need me to do?"

Flash looked to his friends, and it was as if they were having a silent conversation simply through facial expressions. It was when Cisco and Caitlin both nodded that he turned back to Sheldon. "Maybe it would be easier if we showed you."

"Ok," he whispered, following all three people as they led the way.

STAR Labs was state of the art with all the latest technology, even though only half a dozen people were employed there. Sheldon had heard bits and pieces about what really happened here when the particle accelerator exploded. Still, like everything else that came out of this lab, it was a mystery. Maybe he would be able to get the full story before he went back home.

Flash led him and his friends through the winding halls and down an elevator. When they arrived at the heavy metal door, Sheldon went in ahead of them, cautiously curious. His eyes winded as soon as he saw it, though. A large mass of light that appeared to be stable but was whirling with energy.

"This," Sheldon pointed at the elephant in the room. "Is this a wormhole?"

"You could say that," Cisco said as he came to stand next to him. "We're calling them breaches."

Sheldon's brow furrowed in confusion. "Breeches? To what?"

It was the scarlet speedster who answered. "To another Earth."

"Another Earth?" Sheldon repeated. "The multiverse theory… it's true?"

"Definitely, and we have a giant problem to prove it." Cisco went further into the room to stand next to the breach.

"What's the problem?"

"He goes by the name Zoom," Cisco started, an edge to his voice that was telling of how serious the situation must be. "And he's from Earth-2. Zoom has an insane need for speed and will do anything to make sure he gets what he wants. He's already broken Flash's back once."

Sheldon's eyes shot to the man in question, who only nodded his confirmation. He remembered seeing that story on the news, how the Flash was nearly beaten to death by a new dangerous villain. "That was Zoom?"

Flash continued for Cisco. "Yes, and he won't hold back again if we let him, which is why we need your help. We need to close the breaches to the other Earth."

Cisco pulled up a map of Central City on one of the computer screens. He gestured for Sheldon to come over to him. "These are all the breaches that are scattered throughout the city. We need to close all of them except for this one," he said, pointing at the large wormhole in front of them.

"Exactly how many are there?"

"Including this one, there are fifty-two breaches in Central City," Cisco told him. Sheldon must have looked shocked because he quickly continued. "This is the largest one though, it's giving off the most transdimensional energy."

Sheldon studied the breach in front of him. He was fascinated with it. The way it flowed, to and fro, almost like water. But it wasn't a liquid, no, not at all. It was the gateway to a parallel universe. A door. He began nodding his head, understanding a little bit more of what they needed to do. Nothing was certain; he needed to write a formula, breakdown the math. But after months of getting nowhere with his research, he finally felt a renewed love for science.

"So, basically, we need to close the door from this side, ultimately locking anyone on the other side out. The event horizon on this side of the breach needs to collapse." Sheldon thought out loud, pacing back and forth. "Which means that the breach would need to be unstable…"

Flash and Cisco seemed to be catching on to what he was saying, and both of them came closer to the breach where Sheldon was now standing. With both men in close proximity to him and all three of them staring at the wonder in front of them, Sheldon continued. "It's going to take a lot of energy to do this, though."

Cisco snapped his fingers. "You'd need a detonation of some kind. Something that would destroy it but not create…" He sighed and paused heavily. "Not create a singularity."

The mood in the room suddenly turned somber, and Sheldon watched as the other three people simultaneously look down. He had a feeling he knew what this was about. "I take it you're referencing the mysterious singularity that happened here last year?"

All three people scoffed, but Flash was the one who ultimately spoke up. "Not mysterious, but yes, we don't want another repeat of that event."

Even though he was challenged with everyday social interaction, Sheldon knew better than to probe further on the subject. He had a feeling it was a sore spot for them, and as of late, he was also too familiar with sore spots. He wouldn't like them asking about Amy. Which was not outside the realm of possibility, seeing as how they knew a little too much about him. But regardless, he didn't want to cause any undue pain to people that he barely knew. Especially since one of these people was the Flash, a man who he'd admired for years.

A man who he now wanted to help.

"I'll need some time," Sheldon told the team. "But I think I can figure this out."

His entire academic career and Sheldon had never seen someone react with such gratitude for his assistance. Back in California, people only came to him begrudgingly. They knew he was the best for the job, but his lack of social graces gave him an infamous reputation. Sheldon always told himself that he didn't care, and maybe for years, he honestly didn't. But there was a strange feeling in his chest, looking at these people who didn't really know him and seeing them be thankful for his help—people who all seemed so genuine and caring and only wanted to do good in the world. Sheldon had to do this for them; he needed to do right by them.

Suddenly there was a beeping sound coming from one of the computers. The Flash looked at it for a moment. "I have to go," he informed them. "Look, Dr. Cooper, thank you for helping us."

Even if he was in a rush, Sheldon could tell that the man was genuinely grateful. He smiled slightly. "My pleasure."

And in the blink of an eye, the Flash sped off, leaving a gust of wind behind him. Papers flew off the tables, and his hair was messed up, but Sheldon was too mesmerized to care. So transfixed that he almost didn't hear Cisco when he said he would show Sheldon to a lab.

"So, why do you want to keep the breach downstairs open but not all the others?" Sheldon asked as he and Cisco walked the halls once again.

"One way in, one way out," Cisco stated simply. "Right now, Zoom could breach to almost anywhere in the city. But if he could only access this Earth one way, we could know he's coming and be prepared."

"You want to set up a trap," Sheldon affirmed. He had to admit, "That's smart."

They turned a corner and came to a stop in front of an open door. "It is, and get ready to meet the jerk who came up with that idea." Cisco's facial expression was somewhere between scared and annoyed.

And Sheldon was about to ask why he looked so apprehensive when a loud crash from inside the lab stopped him. And he could now add anger to the list of emotions so blatantly written across Cisco's face.

"Yo! Harry, what have I told you about throwing my stuff?!" The shorter man yelled as he stomped into the room. Sheldon cautiously followed behind him.

Inside there was another, taller, man dressed in all black. With hair sticking up in almost every direction, fingers through it, agitating it more. But when he angrily turned around to face Cisco, Sheldon had to take a step back. The man was older, late forties maybe even early fifties. But this man's face had been all over the news right after the particle accelerator exploded. And after his mysterious *death* which occurred last year. A death he was sure Team Flash knew more about than they were letting on.

Harrison Wells… the CEO of STAR Labs and the man who kept far too many secrets for the liking of the scientific community. But he was well respected, and he fascinated Sheldon anyway. Most of his research was leaps and bounds ahead of the times. Sheldon often read through his papers with interest instead of disdain like he did most other scientists. He had, honestly, hoped to meet the infamous Dr. Wells one day… but he died.

"Dr. Cooper?" Cisco questioned, pulling Sheldon out of his musings. "Are you ok?"

Sheldon couldn't look away from Dr. Wells… Harrison… whoever he was standing awkwardly in the back of the room. "You're dead," he stated outright, confusion seeping from his voice.

"On this Earth, yes," Dr. Wells answered, his voice rough.

Cisco explained it in layman's terms. "He's from Earth-2." He paused with a heavy sigh. "As for the Dr. Wells of this Earth, that's part of another really long story."

Well, that was one way to pique his curiosity, Sheldon thought. Obviously, there was more to the story of STAR Labs than the media was covering. And these new people that he had been introduced to obviously knew everything.

"Ramon," Dr. Wells whispered, the gruff in his voice stronger when his voice was quieter. "Who is this? And why is he here?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"This is Dr. Sheldon Cooper," Cisco beamed a stark contrast to the other man who only continued to frown. "He's going to help with our breach problem."

Dr. Well's brow furrowed with confusion. "How is a Geologist going to help close the breaches?"

Sheldon didn't think the other man could have hurt him more even if he physically punched him. He staggered back with a hand to his chest in offense. "Geologist- why would you? Who said I was a geologist?" He asked frantically, looking between Cisco and this hooligan who had the audacity to insinuate he was one of the 'dirt boys'.

"I take it you're not a geologist on this earth?" Dr. Wells' presumed.

"Wha- NO!" Sheldon shouted, and Cisco flinched but giggled beside him. Sheldon looked at him sharply, shooting fire at him with his eyes. How was this funny?

All the humor left the shorter man's face. "It's not funny," he said seriously.

"No, it's not!" Sheldon seethed. "Why would you think I'm a geologist?"

"On my Earth, you're a world-renowned geologist—best of the best. I pulled a lot of strings to get you to come work at STAR Labs with me," Dr. Wells explained.

Never in a million years did Sheldon think he was a rock monkey in any universe. He almost didn't want to believe it, just tell himself that Dr. Wells was just messing with him. That was until said scientist pulled up a picture on whatever fancy watch he was wearing and confirmed what he had told Sheldon.

Sheldon walked further into the room as a holographic picture of his doppelgänger standing with Dr. Wells appeared. It was a part of a news article from their world.

STAR Labs Revolutionizing the World of Geology!

The headline read. Sheldon didn't bother reading the article. After all, he wasn't this other Dr. Cooper. Sheldon didn't waste his time on rocks. He did, however, waste his time studying this picture from another Earth. Looking into the eyes of the man who was him but at the same time not. The man who stood by Dr. Wells' side, donning a wide grin. They were identical; of course, they would be genetically indistinguishable. But there was something lighter about the Sheldon Cooper of Earth-2; more at ease. Sheldon figured one would have to be if they decided to go into a field like geology.

But no, there was something else. Perhaps it was the fact that he was working in a multibillion-dollar facility with cutting edge tech and an excellent paycheck, no doubt. Or maybe it was that golden band on the fourth finger of his left hand—the gold glinting like a star in the night sky to the camera lens.

"He's married," Sheldon whispered in fascination, still examining the picture.

Would he look like that if he hadn't been so stupid? Would he have a dopey grin on his face if he had acted on their fifth anniversary instead of ruining it? Even though he was all the way in Central City, over fifteen-hundred miles away from Los Angeles, that wretched ring in his desk drawer was screaming at him like a banshee.

"He is married," Dr. Wells said, pulling him from his musings. He closed his watch with simultaneously made the picture disappear. "Quite the woman he found too. She's a force to be reckoned with."

Sheldon was too curious not to ask. "Who is she?"

With Dr. Wells poised to answer, Cisco's voice rang from the doorway of the lab. "Okay!" He yelled in a sing-song manner. Sheldon looked back at him incredulously. "Look, feel free to talk about your doppelgangers all you want, but I have some work I need to go take care of."

"Be my guest, Ramon," Dr. Wells snipped.

"I don't need your permission, Harry," Cisco snarked back. The tension between these two was insane, and Sheldon wasn't sure how he felt about it. "Listen, Dr. Cooper, everything you need should be in this room, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. Oh! Before I forget," he reached into his pocket and handed him a flash drive of some kind. "This will give you access to a STAR Labs computer. Just plug it in, and you should be good to go."

Sheldon took the tiny device from his hand. Just an ordinary flash drive, it appeared. "Thank you," he told Cisco.

And with that, he was gone, but not before telling Dr. Wells… Harry… to behave himself.

Sheldon took a moment to really get used to his new surroundings. This had to be one of the smaller labs in the building, and yet, it was already more extensive than Leonard's. Tools everywhere, tech that any geek like himself would love to get their hands on. Their whiteboards weren't white; instead, they were like glass. You could see right through them. The white marker that was provided created enough of a contrast, though. Sheldon could tell by the plethora of calculations that Dr. Wells had on a couple of them.

As awkward as it was just standing in the room like an intruder while the man from Earth-2 got back to work on whatever it was he was working on, Sheldon found a spot and dove into the work he was brought in to do. A large table all to himself, almost twice the size of his desk back home. A board and white marker for him to brainstorm on. And a computer that sat idle with the STAR Labs logo.

When he plugged the drive into the monitor, a browser opened up and a long list of files. One of which was conveniently named, Breaches. Curiously he clicked on the folder and found that Cisco had complied all the information that they currently had on these portals to another dimension. In detail, it was explained to him how they stabilized a breach using quark matter. It was rather helpful, and Sheldon began to calculate on the "whiteboard".

He worked faster and more eager than he had in months. The formulas and equations flowed from him like blood did to the heart. That was until he hit a roadblock. Confused, he stepped back and observed his work, studying every last detail, every last decimal. Until he found the slight miscalculation that threw off most of his work. To say Sheldon was upset was an understatement. He couldn't even solve something he was inspired by, something he was excited about. His mind, once his most prized possession, was worthless now. In an uncharacteristic display of anger, he chucked the marker he held in his hand at the wall in an unbridled fit of rage.

Dr. Wells, who had barely made a sound since Cisco left well over an hour ago, looked up at him with wide eyes. His hands stilled over whatever piece of technology he was tinkering with and continued to stare at Sheldon with obvious shock.

Sheldon interlaced his fingers behind his head and took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm just frustrated."

Dr. Wells laughed slightly as he wiped his hands with a nearby cloth. "Don't worry about it, believe me, I understand." He twisted on his stool to face him fully. "I even know what that look on your face is about."

"What look?"

"The 'someone I love is gone, and now my work is suffering because of it' look," Dr. Wells asserted.

Sheldon sat back down on the stool of his own and scoffed. "She's not gone, she just…" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"She broke up with you," the other man supplied. "Yeah, I figured."

For what seemed like the millionth time that day, Sheldon looked confused. "How?"

"When I showed you the picture of your doppelgänger," Dr. Wells explained. "There was a glint in your eye when you realized he was married. Like a yearning almost."

Sheldon hadn't realized that his emotions were that obvious. Or maybe the other man was just smart enough to pick up on nonverbal cues like that. There was no point in trying to lie to Dr. Wells, though, because he was right. There was a yearning—jealousy.

"We've been broken up for almost six months," he started, letting down barriers that even his friends couldn't break down. But for some reason, he was trusting a complete stranger. "She's the only woman that I've ever loved like that, and now she's trying to move on, and I…" his voice began to break the more he spoke, but he shook his head. Even though he was willing to talk, he was not willing to break.

There was a rolling sound, and Sheldon looked up to see that Dr. Wells had moved closer. "Sheldon… can I call you Sheldon?"

He nodded.

"My wife died when my daughter was four. I had to learn very quickly and very suddenly how to raise a child on my own while simultaneously grieve for the woman that I loved. And, yes, for a while, I was not good at it. Because losing someone who is your whole world, who is essentially your other half, it's unnerving. Like a part of you has been yanked away, and you have to find a way to live with that. It's one of the hardest things to do, but only the toughest of people come out of it stronger than they did before. And if you're anything like the Sheldon Cooper on my Earth, I know you're capable."

Sheldon studied the man in front of him. He appreciated what he was trying to say, but Sheldon didn't feel like he deserved it. "How is this even comparable, though? Your wife died, my girlfriend just broke up with me."

"Pain is pain," Dr. Wells said. "There's no comparison because everyone feels it differently. I don't know your situation, and I am not going to assume anything either. But ignoring the problem won't get you anywhere. Believe me, I am speaking from experience."

Sheldon scoffed. "Well then, what am I supposed to do? Just be a brooding mess all the time?"

"No… don't let it control you, let it drive you." Dr. Wells smiled slightly as if he was thinking about something. Or someone, Sheldon couldn't be sure. "Who knows, you just might surprise yourself."

With that, Dr. Wells rolled back over to his own workstation and left Sheldon sitting in thought. The last time he had seen Amy was on thanksgiving, the day they went to the aquarium together. As friends. In the car, Amy had asked him if he was doing ok. Of course, Sheldon knew what she was asking him, but he didn't want to tell her the truth. He didn't want her to see him vulnerable and hurt. And later that night, when he laid in bed unable to sleep, he wished he had just opened up to her. Because everything inside of him was coming to a head, ready to explode. Maybe talking to Amy would have been freeing.

Perhaps he would do something about it when he got home. But first, he had a job to do, and he wasn't about to blow it for the Flash.

Just as he turned back to start working on the equations again, an alarm sounded throughout the building. The other scientist in the room leaped from his seat and moved around the room frantically.

"What is that?" he asked as Dr. Wells grabbed what looked like a futuristic rifle.

Dr. Wells slung the strap of the weapon over his shoulder. "That is a proximity alarm; we need to move," he informed Sheldon, taking him by the arm and leading him out of the room.

Sheldon ran alongside the other man down the long winding corridors of STAR Labs. "What is going on?" he asked. He struggled to breathe as they came to a stop in front of a random concrete panel.

With a quick survey of their surroundings, Dr. Wells said nothing as he raised his hand to the wall like he was pushing a button. Sheldon watched as a specific part of the wall split in the middle creating an opening to a hidden room. But it wasn't like a door, no, the two halves disappeared into the adjoining two panels of concrete.

"Get in," Dr. Wells nudged him.

Sheldon stubbled into the all-white room that was, for the most part, empty. Except for, what looked like, a plinth in the deepest part of the space. He ran his hand over the white tiles that had random bumps everywhere, like brail.

"What is this place?" Sheldon asked, turning back to Dr. Wells.

The mechanism that let them in, activated again, but this time closed the "door" instead. It was like it wasn't even there. There was a mechanical clicking noise that sounded like when Sheldon's father cocked a shotgun. Sure enough, that's almost exactly what it was. Dr. Wells was now standing with his gun aimed towards the closed door.

"This is the only place I could think of to hide," Dr. Wells spoke shakenly.

"Hide? From what?"

Dr. Wells looked him dead in the eye, and Sheldon could see the fear there. "From Zoom… he's in the building."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kind response this got! It really made me smile.

Sheldon looked at Dr. Wells incredulously. "What?!" he whispered harshly. "What do you mean Zoom is in the building?"

"Shhh!" Dr. Wells hissed. "We need to be very quiet otherwise Zoom is going to find us."

He stepped very close to the man currently wielding the weapon. So close that his voice was barely above a whisper. "What happens if he does?"

"I don't know," Dr. Wells answered, still eyeing the door intensely, his grip on his rifle appearing to tighten. "I'm not sure I want to find out either."

Suddenly, there was a loud whooshing sound coming from the corridor. It was not unlike that of the Flash, but it _felt_ more powerful. It also meant that Zoom was right outside the fake wall. Dr. Wells extended his left arm sideways, urging Sheldon to move behind him. And he did, just as an arm appeared through the wall then disappeared.

Sheldon had heard of this, speedsters being able to pass through a solid object. And if Zoom could get his arm inside the room, then that meant…

The next thing that passed through the bumpy white paneling was a whole man, nothing like Sheldon had ever seen. Blue lighting crackled off of him, which only served to emphasize his menacing appearance. He had seen the news cast of when Zoom had nearly destroyed the Flash, he knew that his suit was all black. But there were no words on the planet to accurately describe the horror of seeing Zoom in the flesh.

The speedsters mask covered the entirety of his face except for the two eye holes. But even still, somehow his eyes were completely black, devoid of color, so you could barely tell they were there. The leather over his mouth stretched and pulled, but it also looked like a muzzle. Maybe that's what Zoom was going for.

Despite not being able to see the face beneath the menace, Sheldon could see the smirk underneath the mask as soon as the speedster laid eyes on Dr. Wells.

Zoom ran forward, and in the blink of an eye, he had thrown the gun Dr. Wells was holding across the room and pinned him up against the back wall.

Wells grunted at the force at which he had been slammed into paneling. Sheldon watched in horror as Zoom lifted him off the floor by his neck. He picked Dr. Wells up like he was a feather. And instinctively, the trapped man reached for his attackers arm, desperately, uselessly, trying to get him to ease off.

"What do you want, Zoom?" Dr. Wells rasped as he gasped against the confines of Zoom's hold.

"I told you, Dr. Wells, that you were going to help me steal the Flash's speed," Zoom growled, his face mere inches from the doctor's. "Have you done that?" the monster asked menacingly.

Wells continued to struggle against Zoom's hold, even managing to slap him in the arm a couple of times. Even still, he managed to get out, "I'm working on it."

"No," Zoom leered. "You're not. You're trying to close the breaches."

"I need more time."

"Time is something your daughter is starting to run out of, Dr. Wells."

"No."

"There's only so much more she can take."

Sheldon watched this back and forth exchange helplessly. As Zoom fired, what Sheldon assumed, were not empty threats about the poor man's daughter; he watched as Wells became more and more agitated and at the same time, more and more afraid. But Sheldon could do nothing.

Dr. Wells met his eyes for a brief moment, with a gaze so intense Sheldon had to look away almost immediately. He averted his gaze to the floor, where the discarded rifle lay, ready to be fired. Sheldon looked to Dr. Wells for permission to what he was about to do. But without his voice, and his Zoom's face so close to his, all the great Harrison Wells could do was blink once.

Sheldon could hear the banter between Zoom and Wells continue as he inched towards the gun just a few feet in front of him. He needed to be as quiet as possible, which meant going insanely slow. It had to have been the longest thirty seconds of his life, all the while Zoom continued to torment a father with his daughter's safety.

Thinking back to his childhood in Texas, Sheldon tried to remember everything his father had taught him about shooting a gun. Aiming for a target was one thing, but pointing a loaded weapon at a human was another. Even if he was evil. The gun was unlike anything Sheldon had fired off back home, but he figured the basic mechanics had to be the same. With unsteady hands, he tried to copy exactly what Dr. Wells had been doing earlier. He breathed out, trying to focus on what he was doing, and rested his finger on the trigger. He was ready, so was Wells who blinked at him once more.

The shot fired off almost as fast as Zoom had run into the room. The blast from the barrel hit the evil speedster square in the back, but the suit he was wearing seemed to absorb the hit. Zoom turned to him sharply, his grip on Dr. Wells easing immediately. The man in question fell to the floor in a heap, reaching for his neck and struggling for a breath.

Sheldon didn't know how, but somehow he managed to hold his ground in a stare off against a man who could kill him in a second. His jaw clenched and he tried to easy the shaking of his body, there was little else he could do. It's not like he could outrun Zoom or get another chance to shoot him again. The only thing Sheldon was capable of was to stand there and act like he had some semblance of power. Like Zoom would even be scared of him.

Which he obviously wasn't, because in the next moment, Sheldon found himself in the same predicament as Dr. Wells. If Zoom had thrown Wells against the wall as hard as he did him, Sheldon wondered how in the world the doctor could carry on a conversation with this maniac.

The wind was knocked out of him the second he made contact with the wall. His back sure was going to hurt for a while, that is if Zoom didn't kill him first.

That dreaded black mask was all Sheldon could see in front of him. It looked even more menacing up close. He tried to keep his composure, tried to appear strong, but Zoom made a low rumbling sound almost like he was growling. And his face, even though the mask, twisted into a snarl.

"And who are you?"

Sheldon struggled against Zoom's hold, which continued to ever so slightly lift him from the ground. How he wanted to gloat to this monster about who he really was, tell him that he was a better man than he would ever be. But that would just make things worse for him, wouldn't it?

Even though it pained him, somehow he managed to ground out, "no one of consequence."

Zoom tilted his head curiously. "No… no. You're the one trying to close the breaches, trying to help this team of imbeciles cut me off from what I rightfully deserve."

Sheldon scoffed and laughed slightly which only made the black speedster press him harder against the wall. But, "Oh?" he asked incredulously. "And just what would that be?"

"The Flash's speed. _I_ am the fastest man alive and I will do whatever needs to be done to ensure that."

"What do you want? For me to just let you steal something that doesn't belong to you?" Sheldon supplied, staring down those dark, dead eyes that would never allow him to sleep again. "You want me to let the bad guy win?"

Zoom was so incredibly close now. "That's exactly what you're going to do," he hissed.

"Or what?" Sheldon dared, knowing full well that he was playing with fire.

Surprisingly, Zoom stepped back slightly, but continued to hold him against the wall. "If you don't stop, you might just find someone you love in the same predicament as his daughter," he said, pointing a Dr. Wells who was still on the floor.

Zoom's words felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. And the fear that consumed him was indescribable. He thought back to those words that had been exchanged between Zoom and Dr. Wells. How the speedster had taunted Wells with stories of his daughter and the horrors she must be experiencing under Zoom's captivity. His _daughter_. The person Dr. Wells probably loved more than anyone, and she was stuck in a cage somewhere under a lunatic's control.

Panic began to set in and he started to fight against the confines of Zoom's hold.

"Your struggle is telling of the importance of someone in your life."

"No."

"Perhaps your mother? Or a sister maybe…"

Mama. Missy.

Then Zoom almost perked up, like he had an epiphany. "Or even better, a lover."

"Amy," Sheldon whispered almost inaudibly.

The person he most loved the most. No.

"She has a name," Zoom taunted. "Your reaction alone is tempting me to go find this Amy."

Sheldon punched at his opponents arm just as Dr. Wells had done before. "No!"

There was evil cackle that echoed throughout the room and Sheldon's blood ran cold. Zoom could _not_ go after Amy. He would never be able to forgive himself if something were to happen to her.

"Please don't hurt her," Sheldon begged helplessly. As if that was going to help change the mind of a known killer.

"Stop trying to close the breeches and I won't."

Sheldon wanted to say ok, and he was going to. But suddenly the speedster let go of him and yelled angrily. Zoom yanked something out of his neck, something that must have dampened his powers because the blue lightning suddenly stop crackling. Only for a moment though.

Zoom grabbed at Sheldon's t-shirt and pulled him in close. The tips of his fingers looked like claws and one of the cut slightly into his skin after the fabric tore. Sheldon hissed in pain, it was searing. Like nothing he had ever felt before. And grabbing at the speedsters arm didn't help because that only made Zoom's grip on him tighter.

"This isn't over," Zoom seethed. He let go of Sheldon, but pushed him back quickly as he sped out of the room.

Sheldon felt his head make hard contact with the wall. He collapsed almost immediately as the world round him began to spin. Dr. Wells was at his side in an instant. He was asking questions that Sheldon could not understand. His chest ached. His brain pounded against his skull. And all he could hear before everything went dark was Dr. Wells frantically calling his name.

* * *

"Look, Harry, all we did was go get coffee, how were we supposed to know Zoom was going to attack while we were gone?"

"You could've at least told me before you left!"

"You're right, I'm-"

"Look at Dr. Cooper over there, Ramon, he did not deserve any of Zoom's wrath."

Sheldon groaned as voices echoed around him. Why did these people have to be so loud?

Another, softer, person spoke next. "Can you two keep it down, I think he's waking up."

He didn't think something could hurt his brain more than the sheer volume at which these people spoke, but he was wrong. As he cracked his eyes open, the harsh luminescent nearly blinded him. The pounding in his head became more intense as he tried to focus on where he was.

There was something soft under his fingers, like a blanket. A pillow supporting his neck. And the bed was perched up. If Sheldon didn't know any better he would have thought he was in a hospital, but then he remembered something else.

Zoom.

Zoom and his terrifying black suit. With those horrible claw like hands that had dug into his skin and thrown him against the wall.

Sheldon felt like all those times he had been beaten up in school, except nearly a hundred times more intense.

He blinked a couple more times, adjusting to this new setting he found himself in. There was a woman standing above him looking at him with gentle eyes. The same way that Amy used to look at him when he was sick.

"Dr. Cooper, how are you feeling?" The woman asked softly.

Sheldon grunted as he tried to sit up. "Oh, just peachy," he quipped. Eventually he managed to get himself upright, only to realize for the first time that his shirts were gone. "Why am I half naked?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," the woman apologized. She moved around the room, filled with medical equipment, but pulled a black tee out of one of the cabinets. "Here. Your other shirt was torn, but hopefully this one will work," she said, handing him the garment.

Sheldon took it from her and examined the white logo across the front. STAR Laboratories. It was all coming back to him now. The Flash wanted him to close portals to another Earth, but Zoom didn't. So, he had to pay for it. With a headache and sharp pain in his chest.

He tried to lift his arms to put the shirt on, but the tugging across his torso made him grimace. The woman, who he now remembered was Dr. Snow, was at his side immediately. Sheldon looked down to see a bandage wrapped around him. Gingerly, he ran his fingers over it feeling even through the gauze where Zoom had left his mark on him.

"I had to give you a couple of stitches," Snow explained as she helped tug the shirt up and over his head. "It could have been a lot worse though."

Sheldon nodded, knowing full well that a speedster could kill him in less than a second. So, why didn't Zoom do something more drastic? Why was he not on death's door? From the little he knew about this guy, Sheldon knew he was ruthless and not above killing without second thought. So? what had stopped him?

"Why wasn't it though? I mean, why did he just pull away?"

"Because I hit him with this," Dr. Wells said suddenly, presenting him with what looked like some fancy tranq dart. "It briefly neutralized Zoom's speed."

Sheldon rolled the device between his fingers studying it. It may have served its purpose, but it wasn't the thing that had saved him. "Thank you, Dr. Wells."

The older man held up a hand. "It's fine, I was just doing what needed to be done."

"So," he looked up at Dr. Snow was still at his side. "What's the damage?"

"Well, you've got a mild concussion, a few bruised ribs and a pretty gnarly puncture wound on your chest," she explained. "You just need to rest, take it easy."

Sheldon looked at her incredulously. "I don't have time to take it easy. I could lose my job if I just sit around."

Dr. Snow sighed. "Look, even if you wanted to, I don't think it's wise for you to be traveling right now. Flying would not be good for your head and the Flash running you home would be too much for your body to handle."

He stood up fast, way too fast. Sheldon swayed on his feet as a dizzy spell hit him hard. "I'll take the train then," he whispered defiantly.

"No," Cisco finally piped in. "That would be too bumpy, it would jostle you around too much."

Sheldon huffed as both Dr. Snow and Dr. Wells nodded in agreement. They didn't understand, he _needed_ to get home. "Look," he said through clenched teeth. "If I don't get home, I will lose my job, and I can't afford that. Ok? Do any of you know how expensive it is to live in Pasadena?"

The others in the room looked at each other but said nothing.

"I don't even think I can help you now anyway, so, why don't you just let me go home?"

"Alright," Snow conceded. "But you have to at least stay here tonight, it's late and I doubt we could get you home even if we wanted to. We'll discuss plans in the morning after we've all had a good night's rest."

Everyone, including Sheldon, nodded in agreement. As much as he wanted to get back to his life in Pasadena, he was in no condition to travel. He only wished he had some of his own clothes and supplies. The thought of spending a night in a nearly abandoned research facility did not tickle Sheldon's fancy.

"Come on," Dr. Wells said. "Let's get you situated in a room."

Sheldon begrudgingly followed behind the same man he had chased earlier in the day. As they walked away from Cisco and Dr. Snow, he could briefly hear them mention something about calling Barry. Whoever that was. Sheldon's brain hurt too much to think about it, and it took a lot of effort for his legs not to give out.

Thankfully the walk was short, Dr. Wells leading him into a blank makeshift bedroom. It looked as though it used to be an office. They must have converted it when people from another Earth showed up.

"Make yourself comfortable," Dr. Wells told him.

Two twin sized cots sat side by side. One of which was obviously in use given the pictures and personal belonging on the nightstand next to it. It wasn't that Sheldon minded sharing a bedroom with Dr. Wells, just odd considering that they had barely just met.

Sitting down on the bed he would be using, Sheldon surveyed the room uncomfortably. His back yearned for him to settle back into the mattress and his brain ached for some relief. Dr. Snow had said she gave him something to help with the pain, but Sheldon wondered when that was going to kick in.

Dr. Wells seemed to notice his discomfort. "Do you need anything?"

Sheldon rubbed his thigh, the harsh fabric of his khaki's told him enough. "I could use some other bottoms if you have any."

With a curt nod and tight lipped smile, Dr. Wells said, "I'll see what I can do." And left him alone.

With a moment of privacy, he patted his pockets in search of his phone, surprised to find it exactly where he had left it nearly… twelve hours ago? It was 11:54 PM. Soon to be midnight, a new day. And his friends, who combined, called him nearly thirty times, would have no idea where he had gone off to.

Leonard, Howard, Raj, Penny even Bernadette had all called him multiple times leaving him multiple voicemails. But no one had tried to contact him more than Amy. Her texts started calm but by the time she had sent the last one, which was nearly twenty minutes ago, they read desperate and pleading. Nothing prepared him for the voicemails though.

**_From Amy 6:35 PM_ **

_"Sheldon, can you call someone, anyone, back, please. We're all really worried and just want to know where you are."_

**_Leonard 8:47 PM_ **

_"Whatever you're trying to pull isn't funny, Sheldon. I know you're having a hard time but that's no reason to run away again, we can help you. Just please let us know you're safe at least."_

**_Penny 10:30_ **

_"Look knucklehead, we've called you plenty of times now, and you're still not answering, wherever you are, don't think I won't go all Nebraska on you when you get back."_

And the last voicemail, Amy again, left around the same time she sent her last text, broke Sheldon's already sore heart.

**_Amy 11:37 PM_ **

_"Ok, Sheldon, please, please, please, I am begging you. Just let us know you're safe. You don't need to call or talk to us, just text us, let us know you're alive. Please, Sheldon. We're worried sick,_ I'm _worried sick. I know things are rough between us right now, but I don't like thinking of the possibilities of where you are. So, if you're hearing this, please, just do something. We all love you, Sheldon."_

Sheldon blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. He didn't need to see her face to know that Amy was crying. And he so desperately wanted to satisfy her plea for contact, but he couldn't. Not when Zoom had threatened him with Amy's life. Hearing her voice was bad enough, actually talking to her? Sheldon was afraid of what that would do to him.

He still needed to remedy the fact that he had left his friends hanging all day. Of course the time difference meant it was still only ten o'clock in Pasadena, so, he still might be able to reach someone. He just couldn't let Amy be that person, so, instead he called Leonard.

The line went live on the second ring.

_"Sheldon"?_

"Hey, Leonard," he whispered in response.

_"Where are you? We've been trying to call you all day, do you not realize how terrified we are?" the other man reprimanded_

Sheldon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Leonard, it's hard to explain. I-"

_"You what? Decided to skip town and not tell any of us? Come on, Sheldon!" Leonard interrupted angrily._

"It's hard to explain. But right now I am safe and I promise I will tell you eventually, but I can't right now, ok?"

_"No, it's not ok! Sheldon, please just come home," Leonard begged._

Oh, how he wanted to do just that. He wanted to tell Leonard everything that had happened. But, "I can't do that right now," he said instead. He had to. To keep them safe. To keep Amy safe.

Sheldon didn't get a reply right away. There was chatter happening in the background, female voices trying to get Leonard to hand over the phone. He just hoped that Leonard wouldn't let Amy talk to him.

_"Amy wants to talk to you," Leonard came back after a few moments, his voice obviously softer now._

Zoom's voice kept replaying over and over in his mind. Kept threatening to take Amy away, just like he had done with Wells' daughter.

He couldn't. He couldn't listen to Amy's voice pleading with him to come home when he was the one who was putting her in harm's way. "I can't talk to her right now, Leonard," Sheldon sniveled, his voice cracking.

_"She really wants to talk to you, Sheldon."_

"I know, I do too, but I-" He wiped at his eyes now, some of the tears spilling over. "I just can't. I'll explain everything, I promise, but I need to go now."

_"Sheldon, please, just talk to her for a.-"_

Guilt flooded him immediately as he hung up on his best friend mid-sentence. He had done exactly what they asked, he let them know he was ok and alive. They couldn't ask him for more right now. Not when he was sitting in foreign building, sitting on a bed that wasn't his, crying about his ex that he had been separated from for over six months.

Sheldon turned his phone off and sat it on the nightstand before Leonard or anyone else could try to call him again just as Dr. Well's voice rang out from the doorway.

"You ok?" He asked gently, leaning against the doorframe.

Embarrassed that he had been caught in a moment of vulnerability, Sheldon wiped at his face dismissively. "Yeah, I'm fine," he chocked out.

Dr. Wells came closer to him, handing him an article of clothing. A pair of sweatpants with the same STAR Labs logo that was on his shirt. Sheldon looked up at him quizzically. "They're all we could find," Wells explained, sitting next to him now.

"Fair enough. I'm fine really, you don't have to try and cheer me up," he told Dr. Wells. Unable to look him in the eye though.

With a heavy sigh, Wells leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, lacing his fingers together as he did so. "I know I don't _have_ to, but I think I understand what you're feeling right now. That dread in the pit of your stomach that something bad is going to happen to someone you love."

Sheldon closed his eyes tightly. Of course Wells was right, and that nagging feeling was only amplified by the injuries that Zoom inflicted.

"Amy… who is she?" Dr. Wells asked suddenly.

"What?" Sheldon's head snapped up, which was a mistake because his head protested immediately. He looked over to Dr. Wells who remained silent but continued to question him without a word. "Amy is… she's my ex-girlfriend. The one I was telling you about earlier. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, it's just…" Wells fiddled with his watch again, showing him another picture taken from Earth-2. "On my Earth, you're married to someone named Amy."

Sheldon didn't know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't the holographic image that appeared in front of him. It wasn't a news article declaring the success of STAR Labs, but rather a candid image taken at a very special event. His Earth-2 counterpart was in it, of course, but instead of Dr. Wells he was standing with a woman. His wife, obviously, given the fact that she was adorned in white and he was clad in a tux. It was their wedding. But that wasn't what took him aback, after all, Sheldon already knew his doppelganger was married. Rather it was *who* he was married to.

Amy. Or at least, Earth-2's Amy. She looked as amazing as Sheldon had always pictured her to be on their wedding day. The day that would probably never happen on this Earth. Sheldon felt bittersweet, at least they were happily together somewhere in the multiverse.

"Based on your reaction I'm assuming that this Amy and your Amy are doppelgangers?" Dr. Wells questioned him lightly, obviously trying to mind his feelings.

Sheldon nodded. "They look so happy," he whispered.

"They are," Wells confirmed and Sheldon simply looked at him, imploring him to go on. "They met working at STAR Labs. Well, my STAR Labs. This Sheldon was studying four billion year old rocks for signs of neutrino interactions and needed a theoretical physicist to help work out the math. This Amy decided to help him out and they just clicked."

Dr. Wells continued to speak but Sheldon wasn't paying attention anymore. This version of Amy and himself, happy and in love, was all he had wanted with _his_ Amy. Earth-2 appeared to keep a 40's aesthetic, perhaps he could do without that, but oh how Sheldon was green with envy for his genetic double. How he wished that there was a photograph on this Earth with them dancing at their wedding.

"Sheldon?" Dr. Wells called bringing him back from his reverie. "You alright?"

"Yeah," he said, shaking his head as if that would rattle the negative thoughts out of his mind. Sheldon sighed and looked down at his hands. "I guess it's good to know that Amy and I are happy somewhere in the multiverse."

There was a pregnant pause between the two men, neither of them saying anything for a minutes. "What's your Amy's full name?" Dr. Wells finally asked, his tone a little more serious now.

"Amy Farrah Fowler," Sheldon replied cautiously. "Why?"

Wells ran a hand across his face and huffed in frustration. He said nothing as he got up and began to pace back and forth, leaving Sheldon to only look on in confusion. "What's wrong?" he asked the almost panicked looking doctor.

"Your Amy's doppelganger has the exact same name as her counterpart here," Wells explained, but Sheldon was still lost. His brain hurt too much to try and put pieces of a puzzle together. So, the other man continued. "Zoom doesn't make empty threats. Even if you do what he asks, he will take something from you. You said Amy's name in the time vault, the room he found us in. And if Zoom knows anything about your counterpart or his wife, it wouldn't be that hard to find out who Amy Farrah Fowler is on this Earth."

Sheldon rose to his feet, his stomach seeming to bottom out. The floor beneath him suddenly felt uneven and he could no longer tell if that was because of the concussion or the panic running through his body. But he didn't want to jump to conclusions, even if Dr. Wells was spelling out pretty clearly for him. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, there's a good chance Zoom may go hunting for Amy, your Amy."

Sheldon shook his head in disbelief and anger. He didn't want to believe what Wells was saying, but who was he kidding? Zoom had taken Dr. Wells' daughter, obviously the monster was not above unsolicited kidnapping. But at the same time, there was no one to blame but him. He had blurted out Amy's name in the "time vault" Dr. Wells had called it. If Zoom found Amy that was on Sheldon. No one else.

A line had been crossed now. It wasn't as if Amy wasn't in danger before, but now that fear and dread that Sheldon felt was legitimate. The threat was no longer empty, apparently it never had been.

"This can't be happening, no, it can't." Sheldon must look disoriented enough for Dr. Wells to step into his personal space.

The older man put his hands on Sheldon's shoulders and shook him lightly. "We don't anything yet, so just calm down. Why don't we call your friends and tell them to get Amy to a safe place, somewhere you don't think Zoom would find her."

"He can't take her, Dr. Wells, she doesn't deserve this," Sheldon's voice quivered as uncharacteristic emotions bubbled to the surface.

"If anyone understands what you're feeling right now, it's me. Zoom still has my daughter, and I will do anything it take to get her back, just as you will do anything to keep Amy safe," Dr. Wells said in a hushed tone, but somehow that made his words sound more serious.

"Like steal the Flash's speed?" Sheldon asked, recalling what Zoom had said during the earlier attack.

Wells stuttered for a moment. "We'll discuss that later," he told Sheldon. "Anyway, call your friends, get Amy somewhere safe, and we'll go from there."

Sheldon nodded and turned back to the nightstand where he had set his phone down. His hands were shaking, he was in pain, all he wanted to do was sleep but the adrenaline and fear for Amy's safety gave him a boost of energy. Of course his stupid phone decided to take forever to boot up, or perhaps it just felt that way to him. But when it finally did start, Sheldon noted but dismissed the nearly ten extra calls Leonard had made to him. No need to listen to the new voicemails either, he could do that later.

Leonard answered faster than he had the first time Sheldon had called him.

_"Sheldon?" He sounded frantic._

"Leonard, hi, look, I need you to do something for me, it's urgent," Sheldon told him.

_"Sheldon."_

"I need you to get Amy and go…"

_"Sheldon!" Leonard interrupted in his I mean business voice._

He could hear a sigh come from the other end, and just like the first phone call there was chatter in the background. Except this was panicked chatter.

_"Sheldon," Leonard said softer this time. "Amy is gone, someone took her."_

Those were the words that rang in his head as the world began to spin around him. His phone clattered to the floor and he became unsteady on his feet. Deep down he knew Dr. Wells had rushed forward to stabilize him but there was only one thing he could focus on before everything went black.

Amy was gone. Zoom had her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading, and in advance, your reviews :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to sincerely apologize for the delay. I kicked off the year in a bad place mentally, but if 2020 taught me anything, it taught me to be selfish for the sake of my own health. So, that exactly what I was doing lol. Gotta feel the feels otherwise they keep coming back.
> 
> ANYWAY, I hope you all enjoy this seriously overdue chapter :)

When Sheldon woke up for the second time in the STAR Labs med bay, there were no voices around him spewing blame. It was quiet, eerily quiet. Unlike Sheldon's mind, who was screaming at him to wake up, to move, to find Amy.

Despite the head injury, he hadn't forgotten. Amy was gone, and someone had her. And it was all his fault. He uttered her name to that monster, to that _thing_ , and now because of him, Amy was missing.

He kept his eyes closed, knowing that if he opened them, his emotions would get the better of him. A part of Sheldon wanted to believe this was all just a dream, that there was no way this was really happening, but his logical side overrode that.

With a quivering breath, he finally decided to face whatever was waiting for him on the other side of his closed eyelids. He expected Dr. Wells to be there; after all, he was there when Sheldon collapse. But, Cisco and Dr. Snow were a surprise.

"How long was I out?" Sheldon asked, groaning as he sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the gurney.

Dr. Snow stepped forward, a pitying expression on her face. "A while, your body needed rest," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "Harry filled us in on what happened; we're so sorry we put you in this position."

Sheldon looked up at her incredulously. How could they possibly be blaming themselves? He was the one who decided to work for them ultimately. He was the one who blurted out Amy's name when Zoom had him in his grasp.

"This isn't your fault; I'm the one who said her name," Sheldon whispered as he stood up and walked toward the main area of the lab where he had first arrived. His eidetic memory would lead him back to his "bedroom".

Just as he was about to exit the room, Dr. Snow stopped him. "You cannot blame yourself for this."

Angrily he turned around. "Yes, I can!" He shouted and pounded his fist against the metal doorframe. He repeated himself, punctuating each word with a punch to the entryway. "Yes! I! Can!"

A silence fell over the foursome; the only sound was Sheldon's labored breathing as he tried to contain the tears that threatened to fall.

"Ok," Cisco said, suddenly breaking the proverbial ice. "One, this _is not_ your fault; we all can share the blame here. Two, we're going to help you get her back; that's a promise."

"How? I mean, his daughter is still Zoom's prisoner," Sheldon pointed out, gesturing to Dr. Wells. "So, how are we going to come up with a plan that doesn't involve me bringing back a corpse to California?"

All three people spoke at once, each saying their own version of, "don't think like that." But Sheldon couldn't think of anything else; the worst possible scenario was the one he was claiming as truth. After all, who's to say Zoom hasn't already killed her?

"Sheldon, we can't afford to think that way," Dr. Wells told him. "The best we can do for Amy and my daughter is to stay calm and use our heads."

He scoffed at the sheer irony of it all. How was he supposed to help Amy with a head injury? Or what was essentially a claw wound across his chest? Sheldon would have a hard time working _without_ those things, with them? He was afraid he could do next to nothing.

But what would Amy say if she could see him right now? How disappointed would she be if he yielded because of something as trivial as pain?

What was it that Dr. Wells had told him earlier?

_" Don't let it control you, let it drive you."_

Yes, he was hurting, yes, he was in pain, but Amy was missing, and that stung more than the scar on his chest or the pounding in his head. Sheldon set his jaw, determined to do right by Amy and bring her home.

Looking up from the ground, he met Dr. Wells' gaze. Not surprised to see the same drive in the man who was yearning to get his daughter back. With a cocked eyebrow, Wells questioned him, "so, you gonna bring her home?"

As if he even had to ask. "You bet I am," Sheldon smirked, turning to move into the main area of the lab.

It didn't escape him that the empty closet he had seen when he arrived was no longer empty. A mannequin in a red suit with a lightning emblem stood proudly there instead. The sight honestly made him more confident. In all the chaos of Zoom's attack and Amy going missing, Sheldon had almost forgotten who he was truly working for. The Flash.

Cisco, Dr. Snow, and Dr. Wells all followed him out, moving to stand behind the same console where Sheldon had met them. They all did their own thing, typing at tapping at the screens there, pulling up information, and putting them on the bigger monitors for Sheldon to see.

"This," Cisco began, tucking some hair behind his ear. "Is something I worked on last night while you were asleep," he told Sheldon. "I saw what you were working on before Zoom showed up, and I had an idea."

"Which is?" Sheldon asked as he watched Cisco move about the lab with ease.

He picked up some kind of metal football looking object and brought it over to Sheldon, presenting it to him as if he knew what it was. "Well, after a lot of, let's say, consulting with Harry…"

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows. "Why do you say it like that?"

"Because when you're working with Harry, you have to expect some sort of outburst that lands lab equipment on the floor," Cisco explained, shooting Dr. Wells an irritated yet playful look. "Anyway, I saw what you were getting at with the use of CFL quark matter, something scientists on our Earth have yet to perfect."

Sheldon looked to Dr. Wells. "I'm assuming that your Earth has cracked that particular mystery?"

The man in question stepped forward. "We have. That's why I make a great consultant," Wells quipped.

Cisco rolled his eyes before continuing. "Well, with both of us working on it together, and your ideas from yesterday, I think we came up with a solution," he said, handing Sheldon the bulky device.

"Which is?"

"The electromagnetic insulator of the quark matter," Cisco explained as he pushed something which sent the machine in Sheldon's hands whirring to life. "I need to make a couple more adjustments, but I was hoping you could run the formula through a computer simulation. You know, just to make sure we won't open a black hole in the middle of Central City."

"Yeah, I can do that," Sheldon replied, nodding. "But what about Zoom? What's the plan there?"

Cisco moved aside as Dr. Wells stepped forward. "Zoom doesn't do anything by accident. Every move he makes is calculated. He didn't take Amy just for the sake of taking her. He wants something from you."

Confusion lingered in Sheldon's mind. "Ok," he said slowly. "So, what does that mean?"

"It means we're going to use you as bait to figure out what he wants and then make a plan from there," Dr. Wells answered him bluntly.

For a moment, Sheldon thought he was joking, but then he observed Cisco and Dr. Snow's reactions. They were serious. He laughed nervously, hoping that would make them stop the façade, and tell him the _actual_ plan. But they weren't.

"You want me to go into Zoom's line of fire? Again?!" Sheldon asked incredulously, his voice a near shrill.

Dr. Wells shook his head. "No, that's not what we're saying," he reassured him. "This is kind of like a reconnaissance mission; you're only going in for information. Find out what Zoom wants, and we'll come up with a plan to get Amy back."

"I'm not going in alone, I won't," Sheldon insisted firmly.

Cisco stepped forward and took the device that would close the breaches, and handed him something else. An earpiece. "You won't be. You'll have us in your ear the entire time. We'll be able to talk to you while also listening to everything that is being said."

"And if something goes sideways?"

Cisco smirked. "That's why we have the flash."

To say Sheldon was nervous was an understatement; he was downright terrified. But he needed to get Amy back, and for some unknown reason, he trusted these people he barely knew with every cell in his body. He _had_ to do this. For Amy's sake.

With a gulp and a nod, Sheldon gave them the all-clear. "Ok, then, let's do this."

* * *

They waited until after nightfall before venturing out into the harsh mid-December weather. Why they insisted on doing this rendezvous after dark, Sheldon had no idea. All he knew was that he was waiting in the cold, with his hands shoved in his pants pockets, waiting for his assailant to come through the open breach just a few feet in front of him.

Of course, said breach had to be in the middle of some abandoned railroad site. Trains that were long forgotten covered in graffiti lined the tracks that hadn't been used in years. Large shipping containers were left sitting and rusting. Sheldon just hoped this wouldn't forever taint his love of trains.

He rocked back and forth on his feet, anxious about what was about to happen. His head still hurt, his chest still throbbed, and yet, here he was about to speak to the man who inflicted those injuries on him. If Zoom was even human, Sheldon didn't know anymore.

Suddenly, Dr. Wells' voice was in his ear. _"Sheldon, we're in position. Are you ready for this?"_

With a shaky breath, he nodded even though he knew the team couldn't see it. "As ready as I'll ever be."

_"Good, because we're seeing some activity with the…"_

Sheldon couldn't hear the rest of what Dr. Wells said because the breech made a rushing sound as someone came through it. And for the second time in forty-eight hours, Sheldon was face to face with Zoom. His blue lightning crackling off of him, illuminating his face in the dark of night.

"I'm assuming you know that I have your _precious_ Amy?" Zoom taunted, stepping closer to Sheldon, who was having a hard time not showing too much emotion.

Cisco and Dr. Wells had given him a list of questions and responses to use. He needed to stick to the script. "What do you want?"

Zoom laughed under his cowl. "What do I want?" he parroted but then answered him. "The Flash's speed."

Sheldon narrowed his eyes. He remembered back in the time vault what Zoom had said to Dr. Wells. Something about how they had made an agreement. Flash's speed for Wells' daughter.

"Ok, but what do you want me to do?" Sheldon asked, clenching his jaw.

The evil speedster stepped forward until he was just as close to Sheldon as he was in the time vault. "I told Wells he would steal the Flash's speed for me, now you're going to help. You have forty-eight hours to meet me on the other side of the breach in STAR Labs."

"That's it? I give you Flash's speed, and you'll give me Amy back?"

Zoom _growled_. "I'll think about it," he spat, turning around to face the breach. He looked back at him though. "I'll tell Amy you said hello."

"Wait!" Sheldon shouted, stopping the speedster before he could runoff. He knew he shouldn't; it wasn't one of his lines. He knew Cisco or Wells would be mad at him, but he had to. "Let me see her?"

Sheldon heard the protests in his ear immediately.

_"Sheldon, no!" Dr. Wells had shouted_ and _"What's he doing?" Asked Cisco._

But he ignored them. He needed to know that she was still alive.

Zoom stared at him for a moment as if contemplating what Sheldon had just asked of him. He said nothing as he sped into the breach and Sheldon's heart sank. But as quickly as he was gone, he returned. And this time, he was not alone.

Sheldon exhaled heavily as Zoom nudged Amy towards him. Not that he needed to because Amy nearly launched herself at him. She clung to him, sobbing, and Sheldon held her tightly, rubbing her back as if that would offer some kind of comfort. Her fingers dug into his back desperately like she was anchoring herself to him.

"Don't let him take me again, please, Sheldon," she begged, pressing against him so hard that he was sure his chest wound was reopening. He couldn't be bothered to care because her pleading, her cries for help, hurt him in a way no physical pain could.

Sheldon knew he shouldn't make her promises, but to have her so near to him, to have her so _tangible_ in his hands, it was almost impossible not to. He pulled back from her and cupped her face in his hands. "I won't, I swear to you, Amy, I will…"

His sentence was cut short when Zoom ripped her from his grasp and went through the breach once more. Sheldon stood there, his arms holding the air that Amy had just occupied, wishing that it was still her. But Zoom had taken her back to Earth.

Suddenly, the evil speedster was back once more. Alone. Despite the mask, Sheldon could tell that the man, or whatever Zoom is, was smiling. "Do we have a deal?" Zoom asked with a snarl.

"Yes," he replied quietly but apparently loud enough to hear because, in the next moment, he was all by himself.

Sheldon yelled out into the empty night sky and fell to his knees in utter exhaustion. He should have stuck to the script. He shouldn't have let his heart overpower his brain because seeing Amy only made things worse. Now, he was tempted to _actually_ steal Flash's speed if that what it would take to get Amy back.

There were footsteps rushing towards him that broke Sheldon from his musings. He looked up to see Cisco and Dr. Wells approaching him, and Sheldon immediately felt guilty. Or at least guiltier. These people meant well; they had proved that already multiple times, he wasn't going to betray them. No, he wasn't going to strip Central City of its hero.

"Are you ok?" Cisco asked and placed a hand on his shoulder. Sheldon flinched away, startled at the sudden contact.

Sheldon pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded; he felt the stirrings of a headache coming on again. The joys of having a mild head injury. "I'll be fine. We should get back to STAR Labs."

The silence from the other two men was, honestly, surprising to him. That was the one thing about this team that irked him, their need to discuss everything. But Sheldon figured that the upcoming conversation was one Cisco and Wells preferred _not_ to have outside in the cold. He didn't want to have it at all; he just wanted to work on whatever plan was being cooked up and get Amy back. No need for mushy pep talks that would only waste time.

But apparently, his little interaction with Amy was not what the team wanted to discuss. The drive back to STAR Labs had been tense. Every once in a while, Sheldon would catch Cisco shooting glares over at Dr. Wells. And he's pretty sure he knows why. With the two way comms, the secret of Wells' alliance with Zoom was out of the bag. If you could even call it that. Just like with Amy, Zoom was blackmailing a father with his daughter's life. Sheldon couldn't really blame Dr. Wells for doing what he thought he needed to do.

Regardless of what type of agreement had been made between the evil speedster and Dr. Wells, Cisco only saw it one way. That the man who he had been working side-by-side with was part of a secret betrayal by helping the villain.

And everyone knew that now. It was written over everyone's face as Sheldon walked into the main area of STAR Labs. What Cisco referred to as 'the Cortex'. Dr. Snow, who had stayed behind, was leaning back against the main console; her eyes were as cold as ice staring down Dr. Wells, who kept his head down. Flash was back, too, still suited and masked up. While he certainly did not look happy, he looked more saddened than angry. Perhaps the superhero sympathized with Wells' predicament, or maybe it was just the sting of betrayal.

Dr. Wells tried to make a beeline into one of the rooms right off the Cortex, but Cisco's booming voice stopped him. "And just where do you think you're going?"

Sheldon backed into one of the walls wanting to stay out of this conversation as much as possible.

Looking prepared to fight, Wells turned back. "I am going to go come up with a plan to get my daughter and Sheldon's girlfriend back. You got a problem with that, Ramon?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Cisco said as he rounded the main console to stand directly in front of Dr. Wells. "You think I'm just going to let you walk away after what Zoom just said? He dropped a bombshell on us, and you have yet to deny anything. What's your deal, Harry?!"

"What's my deal?" Wells repeated, his voice dropping to a dangerous octave. "I am a father, Ramon; that's what my deal is. I will _always_ put my daughter first. It's why I didn't hesitate when Zoom asked me to help him steal Flash's speed. Because when it comes to my daughter, when it comes to Jesse, I will never think twice about betraying you."

"That's it?" Cisco fumed, shoving Wells in the shoulder sending him back a couple steps. "You came to this Earth for _our_ help! Now we find out you're working with Zoom? You've been planning this the whole time, haven't you?" With every question, Cisco sent the older man backing up further and further. Until eventually, his back hit the wall, and there was nowhere left for Wells to go.

When Cisco looked poised to do something other than shoving, Flash rushed forward. With a hand on both of their chests, he pushed Cisco away from Wells. "Hey, hitting him is not going to solve anything," the man in red gently reminded. "Why don't we just give him a chance to explain himself?"

"How are you not more upset by this?" Cisco questioned incredulously. "He was going to take _your_ speed, to give to Zoom of all people. Shouldn't you be fuming right now?"

"Who says I'm not!" Flash fired back loudly. "I am upset, pissed even, but I am not going to jump to conclusions here. Not without hearing him out first."

Cisco lowered his voice so that no one in the room could hear him except Flash. They appeared to be having a mini argument with each other, but Sheldon was not about to strain himself to listen to them.

Sheldon observed Dr. Wells from across the room. While Cisco and Flash continued whatever heated debate they were in the middle of, Wells just stared at the ground. It was obvious that he knew he had been outed, and the team was less than happy with it. But Sheldon only felt sympathy for the man. If the meeting with Zoom hadn't been a reconnaissance mission, Sheldon would have taken the deal to steal Flash's speed in a heartbeat. If that's what it took to get Amy back, he didn't care who he stabbed in the back.

Sheldon couldn't imagine what a man _wouldn't_ do to get his daughter back. Hopefully, Wells could make Cisco understand that.

But it seemed, from the way Cisco's voice raised suddenly, that would be a little bit difficult. "Because he betrayed us! I can't trust him anymore; you of all people should understand that!"

The air in the room was getting thicker with tension each passing moment, and it all came to a head when two voices yelled at once.

The Flash with, "I do!"

And Dr. Wells with, "enough!"

Just like that, time seemed to slow in the Cortex. Everyone staring at Dr. Wells, who was pinching the bridge of his nose, avoiding eye contact.

"Look," Wells started carefully. "Ramon is right; you shouldn't trust me."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Cisco asked incredulously, which earned him a glare from the Flash.

Dr. Wells took a hesitant step into the center of the room. "I will go back to Earth-2 and come up with a plan that will get my daughter and Amy through the breach. All of you will be waiting on this side with an implosion reaction. The second they come through, you seal the breach behind them."

Sheldon pushed himself off the wall, staring at Dr. Wells in disbelief. What he was implying… Wells wanted the team to sign his death warrant. There was no way they could agree to this.

Cisco, who only moments before had been outraged at Wells for his betrayal, was now looking upon him with concern and a hint of panic. Because how could one so willingly walk into their own death trap, Sheldon thought.

Ultimately, it was the Flash who voiced what everyone in the Cortex was thinking. "Wait, you want us to save your daughter and then trap you on Earth-2 with Zoom?"

Wells shoved his hands in his pants pockets. "That's exactly what I want you to do. At least I can die knowing my daughter is safe."

"No," Flash shook his head adamantly. "There has to be another way."

"There's not," Wells fired back.

Just as the Flash was about to express his rebuttal, Sheldon finally decided to jump into the conversation.

"Dr. Wells," he said calmly, his voice cutting through the team like butter. They all turned to look at him with surprise. He walked further into the room. "Your plan is asinine."

Even under the cowl, Sheldon saw the Flash's eyebrows raise, and a chuckle escaped the man in red. The same went for Cisco and Dr. Snow. Almost like they couldn't believe Sheldon had the audacity to say that to Wells. But the man in question remained stoically silent.

But Sheldon forges on, asking the questions Wells obviously had not considered. "What are we supposed to say to your daughter when she asks where you are? How do you think she is going to feel when she finds out that we sealed you on Earth-2 with a depraved monster? Sure, she'll be safe, but she will also resent whoever throws the implosion reactor that closes the last breach."

"No, Jesse is a strong young woman; she won't…"

"She won't what?" Sheldon interrupted. "Miss her father? Not do exactly what you're doing right now? Beat herself up for something she had absolutely no control over?"

He paused, waiting for something, any kind of response from Wells. Sheldon sighed when he got none, so he continued. "As noble as it is, self-sacrifice isn't the way to go here, Dr. Wells. If everything you've told me about Zoom is true, then he will know you're trying to trick him. Then what good is that going to do?"

"Harry," the Flash spoke now, shaking his head. "You can't do this alone. As much as you like to deny it, you're a part of this team, and I – we – are not going to abandon you because of one wrong decision you made."

Dr. Wells crossed his arms in what seemed to be a self-defense mechanism. "So, what do you suggest we do then?"

Flash looked to Sheldon, then Cisco, then Dr. Snow. And if all of them were on the same wavelength, Sheldon knew exactly where this was going.

"Well," Flash started. "You weren't wrong when you said we should send you back to Earth-2. But we're not going to let you do this alone. So there's only one thing we can do," he smirked under his cowl.

Cisco finished it off with the pièce de resistance, the metaphorical cherry on top. "Team Flash is taking a field trip. We're going to Earth-2."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, so we're taking a lil' multiverse trip! Thank you so much for reading, and thank you in advance for your comments :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading :)
> 
> I have about two and half chapters written already and will try to update on Fridays.


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